PopMatters Reviews for CBGB Festival, July 5 - 8

Here are links to my official coverage of the CBGB Festival on PopMatters, enjoy!  

CBGB Festival Overview

Music Showcase at the Canal Room (Printers Row, Shayfer James and Ben Taylor)

Music Showcase at the Highline Ballroom (Lissy Trullie, Fawn and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.)

And additional photos...

Shayfer James @ The Canal Room

BenTaylor @ The Canal Room

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. at The Highline Ballroom

Josh Epstein of DaleEJrJr

Notes on the CBGB Festival July 5 - 8

Most of NYC may have cleared out for the week, but after inviting over 300 artists to perform around town the CBGB Festival had plenty of people participating in programs throughout the day.  It all began tastefully late after noon at the Landmark Cinemas, home of independent film in the city on East Houston Street. Krist Novoselic of Nirvana set the tone as the keynote speaker, providing a rich musical history with a call to get involved in the country's political process befitting his new role as activist and chairman of FairVote.  Music panels followed on the business of getting noticed and all the new tools available, as well as a discussion of way things were in the original club.  A film conference addressed the visual side of things simultaneously, and then there were film screenings along with the music showcases at night.

Krist Novoselic, another bass player!

The brand CBGB seemed alive and well, with opportunities to pick up T-shirts (like the festival staff already had on) everywhere.  There was a nice, quirky but handy CBGB Club Etiquette Guide which filled the back page of the handouts listing the events -- see below. I'm old enough to have gone to the place, but certainly not in its hay day.  But I know the music from those years well, as familiar songs from house bands such as Blondie, The Ramones and Joan Jett played before the presentations.  As with the New Music Seminar, most of the speakers were of the male gender.  The panel on stage for the "Music Industry: Today and the Future," were actually EX-record label guys, a statement in itself. And the next generation listened to it all, though usually while multitasking away (in the last panel on day two I was actually surrounded by people playing with their phones held high in full view!)


Subjects crossed into new territory, for example whether a music artist even wants a record label or not.  And new music outlets in film and television were readily embraced for a infusion of cash and exposure.  There was a slight tangent over an argument regarding Spotify, even though other free or nearly free online music outlets were hardly mentioned.  And the old beef over the quality (or lack thereof) of mp3 files surfaced again -- as one who has fond memories of music discovery while listening alone in my room to an AM transistor radio or driving with a basic car radio I can't get crazy about this... besides, my ears just aren't that good to pick up on the all the nuances of fancier formats.  Isn't that what musicians are here for in the first place? Make it sound as nice as possible and thanks for all that, but we music fans will listen how we please. Rock on!

"Music Industry: Today and the Future"

"CBGB - Tales from the Club"

CBGB Festival Brings Spirit of the Place Back to New York City, July 5 – 8

Just when you need a break from family 4^th of July holiday gatherings, here comes a new event to remind New Yorkers about the rich history that once existed in the Bowery.  CBGBs was a haven for breaking punk and new waves bands under the devoted tutelage of owner Hilly Kristal.  He launched the careers of such stalwarts as Television, the Patti Smith Group, Blondie, The B-52s, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and the Talking Heads.  The name stands for the genre Kristal had originally planned on booking for the club, Country, Bluegrass and Blues, and the addendum OMUG stood for "Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers."  Rather than food, Kristal had rabid music consumption in mind yet it became a bastion for the new music of the day. 

Seeking to rekindle this spirit and rejuvenate the brand that is CBGBs -- beyond T-shirts and the awning that exists in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- the festival will feature rock and roll film screenings, band showcases (300 artists in 30 venues), music business conferences and industry panel discussions.  To stamp an attitude on the proceedings, Nirvana’s Kris Novoselic will be the Keynote Speaker on noon, July 5.  Along with the usual music industry subjects of marketing and record deals, there will also be a panel on “CBGB – Tales From the Club.”  Film subjects include bands such as The Clash, The Replacements, and the Ramones, along with Wilco and Kurt Cobain.  Many screenings include Q & A sessions with those in the film or behind the scenes.  A few of the artists appearing during the festival are Superchunk, David Johansen, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Reggie Watts and The Virgins.  Saturday afternoon brings together Guided by Voices, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The War on Drugs and Cloud Nothings at the SummerStage at Central Park.  A Spirits Festival on Sunday, July 8 highlights artisan whiskey distilleries across town.

Pricing is on a sliding scale according to how many offerings are of interest. Pass categories are defined as Music Showcases, Film Screenings + Film Conference, Music Showcases + Music Conference, Music/Film Combo, and the Spirits Festival.  Costs range from $79 to $379 with increases for walk-up purchases after July 3rd. For further information, visit cgbg.com.